Tam adı Nicholas King Nolte olan Nick Nolte, 8 Şubat 1941 tarihinde Nebraska Omaha'da doğdu.
Annesi Helen, babası, Franklin Arthur Nolte. Westside Lisesi'ni bitirdikten sonra Arizona State University'i bitirdi.
1960'ların sonu ve 1970'lerin başında modellik yaptı.
Sahne hayatında yerel bir tiyatro olan "Pasadena Playhouse" sahnesine çıkarak başladı. İlk popüler olduğu rolü 1976 yılındaki TV dizisi Zengin ve Yoksul (Rich Man, Poor Man) adlı TV dizisindeki "Tom Jordache" karakteri ile aldı.
ROL ALDIĞI FİLMLER
1972 - Dirty Little Billy
1973 - Electra Glide in Blue
1974 - Death Sentence
1974 - The California Kid
1975 - Return to Macon County
1976 - Northville Cemetery Massacre
1976 - Rich Man, Poor Man
1977 -The Deep
1978 - Who'll Stop the Rain
1979 - North Dallas Forty
1980 - Heart Beat
1982 - Cannery Row
1982 - 48 Hrs.
1983 - Under Fire
1984 - Teachers
1985 - Grace Quigley
1986 - Down and Out in Beverly Hills
1987 - Extreme Prejudice
1987 - Weeds
1988 - Grace Quigley 2, Gracie
1989 - Three Fugitives
1989 - New York Stories
1989 - Farewell to the King
1990 - Everybody Wins
1990 - Q&A
1990 - Another 48 Hrs.
1991 - Cape Fear
1991 - The Prince of Tides
1991 - The Player
1991 - Lorenzo's Oil
1994 - I'll Do Anything
1994 - Blue Chips
1994 - I Love Trouble
1995 - Jefferson in Paris
1996 - Mulholland Falls
1996 - Mother Night
1997 - Affliction
1997 - Nightwatch
1997 - U Turn
1998 - The Thin Red Line
1998 - Hayes Hours
1999 - Breakfast of Champions
1999 - Simpatico
2000 - The Golden Bowl
2000 - Trixie
2002 - The Good Thief
2003 - Hulk
2003 - Northfork
2004 - Clean
2004 - Hotel Rwanda
2004 - The Beautiful Country
2005 - Neverwas
2006 - Over the Hedge
2006 - Off the Black
2006 - Paris, je t'aime
2006 - Quelques jours en septembre
2006 - Peaceful Warrior
2007 - Intimate Affairs
2008 - The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
2008 - The Spiderwick Chronicles
2008 - Tropic Thunder
2009 - Arcadia Lost
2010 - My Own Love Song
2010 - Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
2011 - Arthur
2011 - Zookeeper
2011 - Warrior
2012 - The Precious One
2012 - Idea In America
2012 - The Company You Keep
2013 - Parker
2013 - The Trials Of Cate Mccullough
2013 - Gangster Squad